Water-elevating apparatus.



J. L. WRAY.

WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5 1912.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Inventor I Attorneys lmldddhtl.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duly 252;, Tdld.

npplication filed .ttugust .t, 1912. serial Itll'o. risen.

Winter-Elevating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water elevating apparatus and is more particularly an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 955,301 issued to me on llipril 19, 1910.

D ne of the objects of the invention is to dispense with, stutling-bones in the submerged tanksand at other points in the apparatus where leakage is apt to occur when the parts become worn and which necessitate tightening in order to permit the veiliciency of the apparatus to be maintained constant.

'With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description )roceeds, the invention resides, in the co nhination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter. described and clai1ned,it being understood. that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can he made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

Tn the accom Janying drawings the preferred form 0" the invention has been shown. I

Tn said drawingsz-lfigure 1 is a vertlcal section through the apparatus} Fig. 2 is a section on line llil.l Fig. 1.. Fig. 3 is a section on line Cl[) l ig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters oi: reference 1 and 2 designate tanks adapted to be submerged and each of which has a water inlet 3 at its innerend provided with a suitable check valve 4. lill ater outletpipes 5 extend upwardly fron i'fthe lower ends of the tanks 1 and 2 and are' preterahly provided with check valves 6 whereby return flow of water from the pipes to the tanks is prevented. The pipes are adapted to convey water to the point of use.

Extending upwardly Within each of the tanks 1' and2 from a point adjacent the hottom thereof, is a pipe 7 provided, at its lower end, with a valve 8 which normally closes the lower end ofthe pipe, said valve being held in closed position in any suitable manner. as by .rueansot a Wfilflllitjfil lever-n or the like. A float 10 is mounted to slide on the pipe 7 and is adapted, when in its lowermost position, to contact with the valve 8 and push it downwardly 0d of its seat. For this purpose the float may be provided with opposed arms 1]. or any other suitable means extending downwardly from the float. and adapted to move against the valve 8 so as to unseat it.

The means :tor controlling the admission of air under pressure to the respective tanks 1 and 2 includes a cylinder 12 which can be placed either vertically or horizontally as desired, and can be located at any desired distance from the tanks.

Arranged within the cylinder is a tubular ine1nber13 which can be made up of sec tions, as shown, and secured to this member adjacent its ends, are outer piston heads 1 1 and 1.5 while secured to the tubular rne1n her 13 and between the heads 14- and 15 are inner piston heads 16 and 17 respectively. Thus a central compartment 18 is termed between the piston heads 16 and 17 and end compartments 19 and 20 are formed between the heads 1 1 and 15 and the heads 16 and 17 respectively. One or more openings 21 are formed in the tubular member 18 and discharge into the compartments 19 and 20. Each of these compartments 19 and 20 has an outlet-o1 exhaust opening 22 through which fluid is free to pass into an exhaust pipe or passage 2.3 located outside of the cyl inder 12. A pipe 2 1 extends from the top of the cylinder 1 and opens in the cylinder 12 at one side of the center thereof while another pipe 25 extends from the top or tank 2 and opens into the cylinder at. the other side of the center thereof. The two pipes 7 open into the respective ends or heads of the cylinder 12.

Mounted in the tubular member 13 is a movable rod26 extending longitudinally. of the member 13 and held in proper position by spring guides 27 or the like. This rod is provided at its endswith tapered valves and 29 respectii elyadapted to be alternately seated uponthe respectwc ends of the tubu- 1211' member 13 during: the reciprocation oi the piston as hereinafter set forth.

it is to he understood. that air is to-be admitted under prcssure to the cylinder 12 tl'n'ough a supply pipe 30 and that the tanhs l rind 2 are to be completely submerged n the hody of water troinwhich the supply 1s to he drawn.

Assuming that water has been withdrawn through pipes 5 from the apparatus until the float 10 in tank 1 has moved downwardly against the valve'8 so as to open it, as shown in Fig. 1, it will be understood that as soon as this valve is opened, the air which has been entering the top of the tank 1 under pressure from pipe 24, compartment 18, and pipe 30, will cause a portion of the small remainder of water in the tank 1 to flow upwardly past the open valve 8 into .pipe 7 and thence against the piston head 15. As the valve 29 has already been closed by coming against one of the heads of the cylinder 12, it will be seen that the pressure of water against the head 15 will. cause the tubular member 13 and all of the piston heads to move toward the other head of the cylinder. The water contained between head 14 and the adjacent head of the cylinder 12 will escape back into the tubular member 13 and thence through the openings 21 into the compartments 19 and 20 and outwardly from the cylinder 12 through the openings 22' and the passage 23. As the tubular member 13 and the piston heads are thus shifted, the valve 28 is ultimately brought against the cylinder head in the path thereof so as to close against the adjacent end of the tubular member 13, this movement causing the other valve 29 to become unseated. At the same time the pipe 25 is placed in communication with the compartment 18, the pipe 24 is placed in communication with the compartment 20, as will. be apparent. Thus it will be seen that the pressure of air within the tank 1 will be cut oil" and said air will, instead, be free to escape from pipe 24 into compartment 20, thence through opening 22 into the exhaust pas sage 28. \Vatcr will-therefore be free to rise within the tank 1 and the float 10 will move upwardly in said tank thus permitting valve 8 to again become seated upon the lower end of the pipe 7. While tank 1 is thus being filled, the air pressure has been diverted by the shifted pistons so as to pass from pipe 30 and the compartment 18 into the pipe 25 and thence to the top of tank 2. Thus, when it is desired to draw of? water from pipe 5, the pressure of air upon the water in tank 1 will cause a portion of the water to flow from said tank by way of its pipe 5, the water continuing to exhaust from this tank whenever the outlet of pipe 5 is open. Float 1O gradually lowers as the water is drawn oil? and ultimately moves against and opens the valve 8 whereupon the compressed air in the tank 2 will cause a portion of the water to move upwardly in pipe 7 so as to enter cylinder 12 and press against the piston head 14. The various piston heads in the tubular member will I thus be shifted and the operation hereinhefore described will be reversed, wherebv pressure will be transferred to the cylinder 1 and cutoffirom cylinder 2 and said cylinder 2 permitted to fill through the valved inlet 3.

It will be apparent that by providing means such as described, it becomes unnecessary to extend rods or other movable parts into the submerged tanks 1 and 2 and consequently to use stuliins boxes for the purpcse of preventing lea rage. Stuffingboxes have been found objectionable in that they soon become worn and it is therefore necessary to readjust them in order to prevent leakage. in view of the fact that the tanks are usually submerged at the bottoms of wells and other inaccessible bodies of water, it will be apparent that any structure necessitating adjustment of smiling-boxes or the like is very objectionable.

What is claimed is:

The combination with tanks adapted to be submerged and having valved inlets, and outlet pipes extending from the lower portions of the tanks, or" a cylinder, a tubular member mounted for reciprocation therein, connected valves for alternately closing the respective ends of the tubular member, spaced pistons secured to the tubular member and forming a central compartment and end compartments therebetween, means for directing air constantly under pressure into the central compartment, pipe connections between the cylinder and the upper ends or the tanks, said pipes being placed successively into communication with the central compartment during the reciprocation of the pistons, each. of said last named pipes, when out or" communication with the central compartment, being in communica tion with one of the end compartments, there being means for maintaining communication at all times'between the end compartments and the tubular member, pipes extending from the lower portions of the tanks for directing fluid under pressure into the respective ends of the cylinder, valves for normally closing said pipes at their inlet ends, and floats within the tanks for opening the valves when the contents of the tanks are lower-ed to a predetermined level.

2. The combination with separate tanks having valved inlets and outlet pipes eX- tending from the tanks, of a cylinder, a tubular member mounted for reciprocation therein, spaced piston heads secured to the member and forming a central compartment and end compartments therebetween, said end compartments being constantly in communication with the interior of the tubular member, there being exhaust openings in constant communication with the end compartments, connected valves adapted to be mi'vsslvtly seated. against the respective ends of the tubular member, means for ditral compartment in communication with the tanks successively during the reciprocation of the tubular member, said means likewise serving to place the end compart ments successively into engagement with the tanks during the reciprocation of the tubular member, and float controlled valved means within the tanks for directing'fluid underpressure into the respective ends of the cylinder to actuate the tubular member and the piston heads.

3. In water hoisting apparatus, a controlling member including a cylinder having pressure inlets at the ends thereof, a

. tubular member mounted for reci rocation adapte in the cylinder, spaced piston hea s secured thereto and movable therewith and forming therebetween a central compartment and end compartments, there being exhaust openings in the cylinder constantly in communication with the end compartments, means for constantly directing air under compression into the central compartment, and pipes extending from the cylinder and successively to be placed in communication with the central compartment to permit the escape of pressure to the point of use and to be brought successively in communication with the end compartments to permit the exhaust of pressure after use, said compartments being constantly in communication with the tubular member,

and connected valves adapted to alternately ing pressure -inlets at the ends thereof, a tubular member mounted for reciprocation, 4o

lston heads movable with sa1d member and orming therebetween a central compartment and end compartments, said end compartments being constantly 1n commuiucation with the tubular member, connected as ends of the tubular member, means for directing fluid under pressure into the central compartment at all times during the reciprocation of the tubular member, there being exhaust openings constantly in communication with the end compartments, and separate ressure outlets each adapted to be placed successively in communication with one of the end compartments and with, the central compartment.

5. In a pumping device the combination of a cylinder including a hollow piston-rod, a piston at each end of the latter, anair inlet and an exhaust port in the wall of the cylinder, a pressure tank with which the cylinder is connected, pistons mounted upon the piston-rod and adapted to control the air entering and leaving said cylinder, a valve rod lying in the bore of the piston-rod and including a valve at each end, there being an opening in the wall of the piston-rod inward from the first described piston.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES L. WRAY.

Witnesses:

O'rro F. OIHLSON, F. O. Lows. 

